Proverbs 23
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider well what is before thee;
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
2 For thou wilt put a knife to thy throat, If thou art a man given to appetite!
put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Long not for his dainties. For they are deceitful meat.
Do not be desirous of his dainties, seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Toil not to become rich; Cease from this, thy wisdom.
Do not weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly toward them? They are gone! For riches truly make to themselves wings; They fly away like the eagle toward heaven.
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Eat not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, And long not for his dainties;
Do not eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and do not crave his delicacies:
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. "Eat and drink." he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel, which thou hast eaten, thou shalt vomit up; And thou wilt have thrown away thy sweet words.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark, And enter not into the fields of the fatherless!
Do not move the ancient boundary stone. Do not encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
11 For their avenger is mighty; He will maintain their cause against thee.
for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply thy heart to instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from a child; If thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
Do not withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol. (Sheol h7585)
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even mine;
My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
16 Yea, my reins shall exult, When thy lips speak right things.
yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners, But continue thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long;
Do not let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear the LORD all the day long.
18 For surely there shall be a reward, And thine expectation shall not be cut off.
For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise; And let thy heart go forward in the way!
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.
20 Be not thou among winebibbers, And riotous eaters of flesh;
Do not be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Hearken to thy father, who begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.
Buy the truth, and do not sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous man shall greatly rejoice; Yea, he who begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.
The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother have joy; Yea, let her that bore thee rejoice!
Let your father and your mother be glad. Let her who bore you rejoice.
26 My son, give me thy heart, And let thine eyes observe my ways!
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; Yea, a strange woman is a narrow pit.
For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Like a robber she lieth in wait, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
29 Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who contentions? Who anxiety? Who wounds without cause? Who dimness of eyes?
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go in to seek mixed wine.
Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly.
Do not look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
In the end, it bites like a serpent, and poisons like a viper.
33 Thine eyes will look upon strange women, And thy heart will utter perverse things.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as one that lieth down in the midst of the sea, And as one that lieth down upon the top of a mast.
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
35 They have stricken me [[shalt thou say]], —I suffered no pain! They have beaten me, —I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
"They hit me, and I was not hurt. They beat me, and I do not feel it. When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another."
